Stranger
by Hellbendet
Summary: Usagi as Sailor Cosmos comes across a cynical Gregory House. No longer a oneshot due to a few adoring fans. Warning: language.
1. Chapter 1

It's not mine if you know it. Thank you all my faithful fans. This is intended as a oneshot (that might change later if I can get the gumption) and a rather insistant plot bunny.

"You don't believe in God?"

"A belief in God requires a belief in the afterlife, which is just mankind's way of saying 'I put myself through all these rules of being good so I can go someplace nice' when in actuality there is nothing else, just this and then nothing." Well a prospective night of drunken fun was rapidly turning into an intellectual debate, not exactly what he planned but well enough if he proved her stupidity. And Gregory House was excellent at proving things.

"What would you need to believe in God?"

"A Miracle, and those seem to be in very short supply." House snorted, "I don't suppose your going to give me a situation where a 'Miracle' happened and expect me to begin worship of the 'Holy Trinity', because if you are then I sorely misjudged you."

"The Holy Trinity? Ah, now I have another question for you. If God is real do you think that any religion is the 'real' religion?"

Intrigued House answered "God isn't real, theory or otherwise. Religion is an 'end all' answer to an age old question, besides its covenant for people in power to use religion as a tool in the pursuit of power."

"You're avoiding the question."

"I'm more curious about what drivel your about to sprout off."

"Very well then let's approach this logically. The Big Bang straightened out four dimensions making length, height, width, and time measurable instead of being a convoluted mess. However if God existed he would have to exist before and after this event, True?" House gave a short nod and a condescending grin. "Now if God is this benevolent being religion paints him as -"

"God is not always benevolent in religion, not to mention the impact of multiple Gods."

"I thought you believed that man use religion as a means of control?"

"I do."

"Then what makes you think they got all the facts right? Like I was saying if God, or Gods, existed before the Big Bang and was benevolent then he would see the way religion would be disbelieved and used as a weapon. If we are all children of God why would he create evil in order to damn his future children. He must have known everything that would happen being omniscient and that alone takes away the premise of 'free will'."

"Ah so you are an Atheist."

"No. I just believe that God is infinitely more complicated and simple a subject than you realize."

"That is supposing God even exists at all, which by your terms any God, or Gods, that would exist would be nothing more than a callous chess player. If that was the case why bother to believe at all for a futile hope of any sort of false afterlife with the exception of control over the masses?"

"On that premise you believe I am an Atheist?"

"Your continued argument implies otherwise, however you weren't offended when I called you one."

"And what does that tell you?"

"That this conversation might continue on a bit longer before I prove you wrong."

"How can you prove me wrong when you do not have any proof either way?"

"I don't need to prove you wrong with evidence, the fallacies of your own arguments will do that for me." She looked at him in amusement, as if she knew something he didn't, that more than anything irritated him.

"I suppose then that if I offered you proof you would question its validity?"

"Unquestionably." She laughed.

"And what about magic? What would that do to your world order?"

"Magic doesn't exist, your one of those New Age Wicca people."

"Hardly."

"Hmmm." House eyed her, "if you really wanted to go that route then I would suggest that any sufficiently advanced technology appears as magic, that and sleight of hand."

"Clark's Law" she grinned, then with a sly look continued "I don't suppose you would agree if I asked to keep you?"

"That is not the usual reaction one has to a person debunking your beliefs."

"I happen to find you terribly charming. How about it?"

"As long as association was mutually beneficial" House waggled his eyebrows. He also hoped she wasn't backing off the subject; it isn't any fun if the quarry goes to ground before he could "correct" them.

"Back to the proof then?" House eyed her; there hadn't been an impression that she was able to read people like him. The symptoms kept piling up. "Then suppose that even with Clark's Law in mind there was no known technological solution?"

"I am not so narrow-minded to believe that life exists only here, simply the chance of such a possibility is statistically impossible."

"Aliens?" She queried with a delighted smile.

"That is supposing that out of all the worlds out there they would stumble across this one and either bother hanging around or not trying to covertly enslave us."

"You are cynical aren't you."

"It's not cynicism if it's true." She nodded her head in agreement, that's the first step in making people see the truth. Although House mourned lost chances with that body; she was young and nubile and since pretty much everyone was stupid he could deal with that, it didn't bother him in the least, but only if she didn't storm out.

"And it all comes back to proof, and Miracles." House had to hand it to her, she hadn't contradicted herself yet. "So I ask you, what kind of Miracle would it take to make you believe in some sort of higher power?"

"Higher Power, do you mean God or Aliens?"

"You're avoiding the question again, well then I'll take a guess. Since you've taken an obscene amount of pills since I met you and you walk with a cane I think you have an improperly healed injury."

"That is not exactly difficult to deduce."

"But the fact that you are comfortable with your cane and limp, despite the pain, implies that it is a permanent situation." There was no pity in her eyes. "I don't suppose you would drop your drawers if I asked?"

"Depends on where the dropping leads to. If however you're going to try some Faith Healing to take away my pain then I really would be disappointed in you."

"Perhaps I am only asking to distract you from questioning me."

"I would be disappointed for only a short time." She laughed delightedly once more. Seeing as it could go either way House saw no need to not do so, he would either be physically satisfied or intellectually by vivisecting her, a true win-win if he ever saw one. She came to his side and kneeled on the ground, smiling at him and brushing her fingers across his scars. That's not what held his attention however, the purple glow in the wake of her hand healing the tissue and the rapidly fading ever-present pain had pretty much halted all thought. Done with her work she stood up and walked to the door, House could only look at un marred skin. A radio clicked on;

"If God had a name, what would it be  
And would you call it to his face  
If you were faced with him in all his glory  
What would you ask if you had just one question

And yeah yeah God is great yeah yeah God is good  
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

What if God was one of us  
Just a slob like one of us  
Just a stranger on the bus  
Trying to make his way home

If God had a face what would it look like  
And would you want to see  
If seeing meant that you would have to believe  
In things like heaven and in Jesus and the Saints and all the Prophets

And yeah yeah God is great yeah yeah God is good  
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

What if God was one of us  
Just a slob like one of us  
Just a stranger on the bus  
Trying to make his way home  
He's trying to make his way home  
Back up to heaven all alone  
Nobody calling on the phone  
Except for the pope maybe in rome

And yeah yeah God is great yeah yeah God is good  
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

What if God was one of us  
Just a slob like one of us  
Just a stranger on the bus  
Trying to make his way home  
Just trying to make his way home  
Like a holy rolling stone  
Back up to heaven all alone  
Just trying to make his way home  
Nobody calling on the phone  
Except for the pope maybe in rome"

House sat stunned on his couch just looking at his leg, but by the time he did look up she was already gone.


	2. Chapter 2

"House I am not your baby-sitter

"House I am not your baby-sitter. If your drunk at least have the decency like any normal person to call in sick instead of letting Cuddy bother me until I waste my lunch break coming down here to pull you out of whatever pile of vomit you've gotten into now." Wilson called out as he entered House's apartment. "Or perhaps your high and needed to escape from clothes that wanted to strangle you…(1)" he continued as he saw House's state of undress.

"I don't feel any pain."

"Of course you do, it's just the drugs making you think your not" said Wilson as he headed to the kitchen. "You need food, hasn't anyone told you that street drugs and powerful medication, like say Vicodin, don't mix well? And the added danger of poorly cut drugs just makes this that much worse" Wilson grumbled.

"No. Wilson I don't feel any pain." House stood up and walked into the kitchen without his cane.

"That's imposs…" Wilson paused. When he had entered the apartment House's leg had be obscured by the couch and he hadn't had a good look at it. But now, now with House in front of him he could see it all in its naked uninjured glory. Wilson knew, he knew all about Houses injury. Hell he even touched it a few times while undressing a passed out House for bed. This was impossible and he couldn't seem to find the right words. "I guess that your excuse for taking all that Vicodin is invalid now" he finally replied weakly with a few stuttered chuckles that fell flatter than his unwavering gaze.

House didn't bother to reply.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

House breezed pass Cuddy with a lost Wilson trailing him. Cuddy decided she needed more coffee and to open her new bottle of antacids.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

House storms into the conference room shoving the doors wide with a dramatic clang that startles his team. Shooting into upright positions they stare at House incredulously, because even though they have worked with House for months they had never seen him like this. Truth be told his entrance wasn't all that awe inspiring, his previous actions of expecting everyone to worship him for "the" medical diagnosis on every hopeless case ensured that they were intimate with his inner drama queen, the fact that he used both hands was.

"New patient. Caucasian, male, 46 years old, sudden healing of a years old infarction in the right leg, no residual pain." He recites as he walks over to the white board.

"You're not using your cane." Chase comments.

"Well thank you for that startling observation Captain Obvious. Have you listened to anything I said or do you have any more information that needs to be shared with the class?"

"Not possible." Foreman mumbles as Chase flushed under House's glare.

Cameron seems to pull herself together enough to ask "and, what are the possible instigators?" Then again perhaps she only asked in order to get House's attention off them.

"She's 5'4'', 150 lbs, blond hair, blue eyes…." House trails off "and currently in my office." Wilson had been staring at her since they entered the room, House had informed him of the situation on the drive over but as he had been distracted he only caught bits and pieces. However, this was one bit he did catch.

House stormed out of the room with equal force and into his office next door. The blond (he couldn't remember her name) was kicked back in his chair with her crossed legs on his desk and tossing his stress ball into the air. She wore a charcoal grey pinstripe pantsuit and hot pink heels; her hair was still up in that ridiculous hairstyle. Taking her attention off the ball to quirk an eyebrow at him said ball managed to find itself perched on a plant, Cuddy felt it would make him more personable, in a position that too was pretty much an improbability.

"I didn't expect to find you here" he managed.

"Well you did agree to me keeping you, to just up and leave would be like buying a puppy and forgetting to feed it. Give me a little credit."

"You did up and leave last night. And I thought that agreement was only valid for mutual beneficiation."

"Last night the playboy bunnies from the last five years could have been parading naked about your apartment and calling you House-sama and you wouldn't have noticed. Besides regaining the full use of your leg could be considered a benefit, unless you don't like my favor. Alas! My sweet Knight has found another love! I shall attempt suicide and be saved by the plebian farm-boy only to ride off into the sunset where my life will be full of sunshine, daises, and a shit-ton of manual labor!" House actually blinked. Twice.

Nevertheless he was undeterred. "How." House felt no need to "pretty up" his questions, only a moron would actually ignore the pink elephant anyway.

"Why, whatever do you mean?" Then again that only applied to people who weren't mocking him, or were actually morons. He was betting mocking, that devilish twinkle and shark like grin proved that. To be honest, if he wasn't so damn curious as to how she accomplished it he might enjoy the verbal spar a bit more. Then again if he wasn't so damn curious he might not have cared.

"You know what."

"You, Gregory House, have piqued my interest. I enjoy your blunt cynical view of life and, as I said, would like to keep you. So after I left last night I did some checking, and do you know what I found? You like puzzles. So in my infinite generosity I have provided one unlike any other you have ever encountered. Not that I had any intention of telling you at all, you understand, but now you at least have the chance to figure it out."

House opened his mouth to send his own scathing reply but turned to the hall as loud crashes and a scream filled the air. A nurse had overturned a cart, on a patient, who was screaming his own obscenities. Dismissing the commotion as unimportant he turned back to the blond, or where the blond should have been. The room was empty, he was standing in the way of the only door and the window was still locked tight. She was still gone.

Staring at his desk he was "almost" startled by the stress ball falling to the floor. Turning about and walking back to the conference room, while sending a few comments at the mess in the hall, he once more stood before the white board. After a moment of consideration he wrote "hallucination" in big blocky letters at the top.

"You know House, we saw her too." Wilson was perceptive enough to know what he was specifying; too bad he didn't think it through as House amended the board to say "mass hallucination" instead.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Thank you my lovely reviewers, you gave me the strength to carry on. I actually had to find a notebook to jot stuff down because I thought of the dandiest things…when I was away from a computer.

(1) My Father took a side job as security for a shopping center because he liked the work. One night in the parking lot he found a man running around in circles naked. The man had gotten high, which was all well and good for him until he noticed his clothes shrinking. Convinced that they were trying to eat him he tore them all off and locked them in his bedroom. Yet again it was all well and good until he realized that there were a lot of clothes in his room that might try to get him. He was in the parking lot because it was a wide flat space and there nothing could sneak up on him. He was also running in circles so that he could see in every direction. Logical no? Just remember don't do drugs, because people like me will post your exploits on the internet for everyone to laugh at.


	3. Chapter 3

Praise to TheMello

Praise to TheMello. If it wasn't for him (her?) I wouldn't have gotten this out for a couple of days (I type slow, very slow, as in last chapter took me three hours slow). Thankfully I have been blessed with many ideas; sadly I haven't much idea where this is going. I was never one for sappy happy sugar-coated endings and hope that this fic doesn't fall flat either (that means all suggestions are considered even if I don't use them). Anyway hopefully this answers a few questions about Usagi, review!

P.S. I listen to the song A LOT too. And as to my other reviewers, I haven't forgotten you (hey peoples I got to chapter 2 because of your warm notes!).

And Here's Usagi!

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Usagi was lonely. There was nothing much else to say about that. Sure she had Luna and Artemis, but more often than not they were making like bunnies and doing the dirty. As Mau they have both a cat body and one more like a human one, unfortunately Usagi must have crossed a few too many wires when she turned Luna into Kaguya-hime. Anyways once she got over the "Artemis is a horney greedy self-centered moron" stage when they shared their grief, the crossed wires came with an insatiable libido (gotta work off all the stress of being high-strung somehow). Have I mentioned their making like bunnies since?

Needless to say they weren't good company, and that is why she came back to Earth. Sure she had this gargantuan (bombastic, bulky, capacious, chief, consequential, considerable, eminent, enormous, extensive, fat, full, generous, gigantic, grand, grandiloquent, grandiose, great, gross, heavyweight, hefty, huge, immense, important, imposing, inflated, jumbo, large, leading, lordly, magisterial, magnanimous, major, massive, mature, mighty, monumental, outstanding, overbearing, pompous, preeminent, pregnant, pretentious, prominent, roomy, sesquipedalian, significant, tall, teeming, tremendous, turgid, vast, voluminous) crystal castle but it was deader than a tomb. Unless you liked hearing cat sex echoing off the walls at all hours (it NOT dignified!). Then again there were also the petitioners that occasionally stopped by; other Senshi that had a problem they didn't want to bother solving for themselves that they felt the travel to her domain was a surefire way to get her to be their massive overkill weapon that was pretty much the equivalent of a supernova. Lazy cunts.

Unfortunately there were those rare few that were actually in over their heads, so she left a forwarding address on the front gate. Damn conscience. At least the extra mileage dissuaded a few of the pathetic ones, a few. At least now she could be (I would be lying if I said privately, it easier to just laugh in their faces) amused at their dress sense and lack of cultural understanding. A Senshi had actually walked up to Usagi wrapped in transparent cellophane, her arrogance only made her arrest for public indecency all the more hilarious. That and her subsequent trip to the psych ward, good times. Besides the cellophane just made her bulky in all the wrong places, she probably had difficulty even wrapping herself in it.

There were a few downsides to living on Earth; the hairstyle for one, every time Usagi transformed it went straight to silver. Not only was her unique silver color unusual but in the first few weeks here she had been the butt of far too many albino jokes (and lewd comment about how she could find ways to _relax_). So she got it dyed her old blond, every time. She had to start rotating hair salons because they began questioning how exactly she removed permanent dye so easily. And with her long hair it cost a fortune! Thank the stars that the Outers had left their vast estates (including several high class high profit businesses) to her. And another thing, the style! If the Caldron was sentient she'd clock it one for putting her hair in heart shaped buns! Can we say cliché. It put awkward waves in her hair and made the spherical ones harder to put up. Needless to say she didn't transform much.

So being pretty much stuck with the little abilities wasn't that much of a hassle, like Saturn's healing ability that hooked her that lovely doctor. See Usagi had been hoping to get drunk out of her mind (damn Senshi healing!) and eating all the food the dinky place had to offer when she came across the man with the slicing tong (or was that supposed to be silver?). A few drinks, a few laughs, and wham bam thank you ma'am they were at his apartment. It was pure chance that they stumbled across God as a conversation topic, although it was his fault and a completely ironic statement (especially since he said it to HER face).

So a few tweaks and some good observations (see Luna I can too take account of my surroundings!) and the fun was about to begin. But first she had to know more, a few pointed questions and a little of Saturn's Healing and theee faceee heee madeeee! Totally worth it. And this is how Usagi learned that screwing with humans was fun too! So leaving him with the jaw low enough that the natural amount of salvia in the mouth, well, didn't stay in the mouth she left. If she was going to keep him she had to know more about him.

Lo and behold this human had the solver mindset! Unintentionally she had picked out the only one that needed to know the answer to everything. And the kicker was that because of their conversation he was going to question which source healed him. Was a Miracle of God? A benevolent Alien (or perhaps an insidious enough one that knew they had won and mocking the slaves won't damage the master plan!)? Or some new, not on the market, experimental human technological breakthrough.

The icing on the cake was that he was a big timer at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and screwing with him meant screwing with them all! Oh what a wonderful day! A whole hospital was going to run around like chicken with their heads cut off and nothing was really wrong! That will be good for hours of endless entertainment just by watching them with Pluto's Key, just skip the boring bits! It may see like a cheap way to use a key that controls time but lets be serious that's exactly what Pluto did for 10,000 years while waiting for the other Sol system Senshi to "re-spawn".

Meeting Gregory House was the best thing to happen to her in a long time. Bonus because he was human and human's always had their ways of surprising her. Endymon always had, probably why she loved him so much. Perhaps by watching them she might find one worthy enough to take the mantel? Maybe, maybe. Can't look ahead into the future, all that self-fulfilling prophecy crap that made every conversation tedious (and Usagi knew because she tried it in Japan, it sucked knowing everything, so she moved to the United States).

At least she got a great penthouse apartment to kick back and eat the popcorn in, and a herd of maids to clean it. Granted they've gotten comfortable enough to scold her for her messy ways but Usagi preferred the hurricane method. Throw everything into the air until you find what you need. Funnily enough there was a method to her "madness", if everything was on the floor then a quick scan and you're done! The conniving maids countered by labeling everything! HA! Tsukino Usagi will not be deterred by reading those blasphemous things! Ignore them and eventually they'll stop doing it, she had forever to wait anyway. Forever.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry my Fans. I go to school full time and the trip just to get there alone is roughly the same a a part time job. I'm tired. But as I know you really are fans of this I found some time to make it. The only good news is I plan to keep going and I have some truely inspired ideas. Enjoy.

...

"You're Diagnosticians

"You're Diagnosticians! Diagnose!"

"Maybe it would help if we had any kind of lead, like at all."

"I gave you leads. The Blond did it."

"That isn't nearly as helpful as you think it is." Foreman was always good at keeping up. Not like Chase, he was too much like an affection starved puppy. It made for good ego stroking though, and he did all the crappy jobs the others were too moralistic to do. That's another thing, the conversation.

"We met at a bar."

"Which one?" Cameron jumped in. Not too bright but worth the sexual tension.

"I don't know, I was drunk by then."

"So drunk that you didn't bother to find out her name." There's that moralistic disapproval again, funny how after every time he put her in her place she just came back for more. And that was what truly made her interesting enough to keep.

"She wasn't worth the effort then."

"And now your wishing you did."

"Not really, I still think it would have been too much effort. That's why when she shows up again you are going to stalk her."

"I am not going to stalk some woman! Besides she probably won't come back."

"Yes you are. And she will come back; she's having too much fun." Cameron put a fight and wouldn't actually plan on carrying out this order. It just so happens that Chase has fewer scruples and then she'll follow along to "keep it clean". This was actually a good thing because Chase was a bit unreliable, nevertheless House was right again and Cameron would indeed stalk The Blond.

"What else can you remember?" Foreman interrupted this time.

"She called me a puppy."

"…I'm honestly at a loss there; puppy is not the word I would use." He ignored them.

"She sees herself as someone better than me, said she wanted to keep me." He mused while his assistants merely looked at each other. "Either she's got a dominatrix mentality" he grinned, "or she's of a wealthy/high-class background. Her clothing points to the latter, pity."

"You're a pig House." Cuddy called from the door.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Ah, Cuddy. Sorry busy, no time for clinic duty."

"I know, you have a patient." She held up a file, waving it in the air while evaluating him. Everyone had heard about the leg by now, it was spread all across the hospital. Apparently one of the nurses had distracted him from his prey and had suffered for it. No one would approach him for the real story, and Cuddy was working over her own feelings about it. She would have made him get a full work up but he had already done so, and the prelims were inconclusive, except for the perfect health part. She didn't know what to do, and until something went wrong she was going to have to go on faith, and a certain Blond waiting in her office.

"I don't need another, give it to someone else."

"You get to do all the tests and skulking around in your free time to find out about this Blond as long as you work real cases."

"You would never do this." House eyed her; she wasn't up to hiding this from him. Being straightforward would give her a better bargaining position than trying to slip it by him anyway. "Something is in this for you; you might let me do the tests but never on the hospitals dime." Shrewdly he studied her more in depth. "Unless you think this might be a medical breakthrough but it isn't that is it." It wasn't a question.

"No. You're…patron…really likes you."

"Selling yourself at work now too." He shot back; sadly he really was right this time, sexual innuendo aside.

"She made a generous donation to the hospital, as well as signed a contract to pay all the bills for this little game of yours." House grinned triumphantly. "On one stipulation, you work other cases." That took the wind out of his sails.

"You're bluffing. You threw in the last part; she's already paying the bills."

"It doesn't matter House. I may agree to 'host' this 'game' but the donation is already made and is non-refundable. I don't have to keep you on staff, and no one else will hire you, much less let you perform tests. And with the amount she paid, I could hire several teams of diagnosticians." Quickly she pushed the file into his hands and walked out before he could make any kind of comeback. It felt good to get one up one him, and funnily enough it wasn't the file. As she had pushed the file into his arms his hand had grazed her sleeve, and taken a suspiciously long blond hair with it when she left.

Don't get her wrong; the file was on a real person that needed House's expertise and she would be paying for that because House never lets someone hold something like that over him. But the hair was planted, she really was selling herself out for a lot of money, money that could save many lives and replace outdated equipment and provide more free services in the clinic. She'd been subjected to House long enough to know when her morals needed to take a backseat. And the knowledge that she had fooled him, even if only for a little while, gave her warm and fuzzy feelings.

The Blond on the other hand was a different story. She had refused to give her name and worked directly with the hospital lawyers when she signed the contract. It was now on its way to a safe and while she did have a hand in dictating the terms Cuddy had never seen it. There was also the fact that The Blond unsettled her, some instinct that said she was in over her head. This could go very badly, very quickly. But somehow things around House always ended up okay, not great but okay. And Cuddy really wanted to know how the Blond had done it.

Walking into her office a knowing grin was directed at her, or more specifically her sleeve. The Blond yet again unnerved her with that expression alone, but funnily enough it was in the contract that House would suffer no ill-effects over this, not physically anyway. Somehow that was even less reassuring, at least Dr. Wilson was available to clean out House's apartment of drugs, he didn't need them anymore and it was best not to tempt fate. Cuddy couldn't wrangle the secrete out of her either.

"How did you know he would take the bait?"

"I did some researching on him."

"I'd like to know where you got the information." The Blond didn't answer, not that she expected her to. "Why throw in the stipulation about the patients?"

"People need him."

"Then why play?" The Blond stopped grinning and sat back in the chair, staring, and waiting. Suddenly it hit Cuddy, the truth; "you need him too." A nod, The Blond didn't elaborate. That still left the question as to what the hell was going on, but Cuddy understood her better now. It wasn't a one way street, and the fact that The Blond had more at stake than money (which she didn't appear to care much about anyway) did a lot to ease Cuddy's conscience. Blowing up in all their faces was still a huge possibility, but with some leverage she could work this to her advantage. And The Blond knew that too and still hadn't bothered to hide it.

"Why give him your hair? Won't that mess up the game?"

"Not really, I just happened across some woman at a café and picked it up off her. Truth be told I don't think its even real hair. Won't that screw him up." The Blond once more, grinned.


	5. Chapter 5

With House on "probation" all the leg work had fallen to them. To be honest he doubted that House made a mistake, maybe if he was higher than a kite but now that Dr. Wilson searching his apartment every day it was unlikely. House could probably hide the pills from Wilson, but he would never stoop to not taking them in front of the team and didn't even seem to notice their absence, and had labeled it another symptom in the "Curious Case of the Blond from Some Bar". House was having tri-weekly drug screenings.

"We all have things we regret." Chase looked up; it was her, The Blond, talking to Sister Augustine. Well, House did say to tail her and if Cameron wasn't with him then fine, it's her own fault for missing out. And what exactly did she regret?

"I've changed now, but I can't help feeling that I deserve this pain."

"Don't have so little faith," Sister Augustine looked mildly put off, but the Blond continued, "the past doesn't matter, no one deserves pain. Hate, pain, adversity, they are all obstacles meant to be overcome, so that we grow and change. You are where you need to be, nothing more nothing less."

Sister Augustine said nothing, it was clear that something had unsettled her but Chase didn't know what. He quickly ducked away from the window when the Blond turned and left the room without another word. He followed her down the hall, she turned the corner but when he reached it she was nowhere in sight. Now, he could try and find her or go back to what he is supposed to be doing.

Decisions, decisions. Chase turned back the way he came and jumped in surprise at the Blond in front of him. "H-how…"

"You suck at tailing people."

Catching his breath and moving away a bit Chase replied, "perhaps you are simply good at spotting tails." Eyeing her he continued, "Can I buy you a cup of coffee?" but was dismayed to find her laughing hysterically. What exactly was so funny?

…

"A copper allergy…" Chase mumbles as he stepped outside into the sun.

"Sometimes it's the simplest answers that escape us."

"Ghaa! Would you stop doing THAT!"

"You sneaked first."

"…That's an argument House would use…"

"Your point?" Chase blinked and decided that no, no he really didn't have anything to say to that. "So what about an allergy disturbs you so?" He merely looks at her, wondering why she was asking. "Is it because she is real to you now?"

"…I don't understand the question."

"Silly boy. Before you found out about her 'sordid' history she was a prime example of who you were. So faithful, believing, and doubtless. You resented her for that, for shining in glory despite being hidden in a habit, she practically glows. Now you know she had reveled in darkness and in her pain and fear and hate she found the light and hope. And now you dislike here even more because she found Faith. Because she isn't the naive girl-child but a healed woman with a purpose." She looked at him sympathetically, "Your exact opposite."

Chase felt breathless, it wasn't just what she said but the way she said it. It was like facing House when he was on a roll, but so, so different. Where House would press, anger, and inflame all in pursuit of the truth she, she looked at his soul. Her voice reverberated in his head, his chest, and her eyes pierced him. It was like his life was being laid bare before her, all his follies and failures but not judging.

"I, I have a purpose," he breathed unsteadily, "I am a doctor."

"Nothing to say about religion?" she continued. "What was it you said, 'Damned if you do, damned if you don't?' Why did you say it?"

He couldn't bare it and looked down to the ground, there were shadows that shouldn't be there. A shadow that stretched across the ground in a feminine shape, but that wasn't what drew his attention; it was the shadow wings that fluttered from this figure, blowing in the breeze. His shadow stood before it, looking so small, and the more he focused on this, this impossible scene a wing crossed the space between them to cup the boy shadow. A blur of white crossed his peripheral vision before warmth suffused him, reaching up he felt soft feathers caressing his hand before one came loose in his fingers. Finally raising his eyes he looked at the feather as it sparked in his hand, the wing still only at the edge of his sight didn't move. A cold lump pitted his stomach, like he was flying and falling all at once he dreaded it but couldn't stop, he had to look. She smiled gently at him, no wings despite the fact that he could still feel them, silver hair, silver, flowing in a nonexistent breeze.

"Yo… You Can't!" Chase trembled, lost, so lost and alone. She gathered him into her arms, she was so much smaller than him but so strong.

"Ah. I see. You believe in God but feel you aren't worthy of such love, so you reject it all in hopes that if you say it enough you will believe it."

"How is that even possible? It's not natural!" He had to know, of the three theories about her origins there was one he feared the most. If it was true…

"You don't like me do you. You fear what I represent." He couldn't stop thinking about it. Chase was a doctor, he saved lives, he followed all the tenets of God, and then in the one crucial moment when he needed Him, he wasn't there. He may have failed his test of Faith, but Faith failed him first. And now there was the Blond, she was impossible, and female. He couldn't, if he did then everything that had happened to him was a lie.

"That's okay, not everyone does. I forgive you, and await your return to my care. Know that I will always welcome you home, I love you, no matter what." He went cold, goose bumps racing across his body, in the end the sun set and he let her walk away.

…

"So now that our 'beloved' Sister Augustine is cured what have we learned about the Blond?"

"As much as I would love to speculate House if this isn't anything important I have places to be." Chase stood and began collecting his things as the room gaped at him.

"And where exactly do you think your going?"

"Mass" Chase curtly replied. Stunned House simply let him go, he knew Chase used to attend Seminary but lost Faith. He wouldn't attend Mass, not over obeying House, not when he lost Faith. At a loss he turned back to the white board. Eventually the rest of his team left and Wilson came in to herd him back to his apartment; House didn't hear a word he said. That Blond was a tricky one.


	6. Chapter 6

House stopped dead. Then, turning to face the window, he brought his arms up slightly as if he was holding something and made an "ahaa" noise as if he was a member of a church chorus. Cameron, Chase, Foreman, and Wilson all stared at him as if he were insane. And not too tempted to attract his attention either. Spinning on his heel and giving a delighted giggle, which prompted the others to shift away slightly; he added a new line to the whiteboard.

"I knew I forgot something!" House exclaimed cheerily as he stepped back. Peering at the board the group of slightly nervous doctors read, "Turns radio on and off for a specific song with her mind." There was just no response that wouldn't sound condescending to that.

"After she did her magical doohickey, purple light and all, the radio switched on. I want to know why and how, especially since the radio was seven feet away at the time. Chase," said doctor perked, "fetch."

Chase nodded, got up from his seat and walked to the door. Halting in his tracks he turned to House, "Can I have your key?"

House shakes his head, "Nope! That last break in you did could use some work, why you almost got caught! Now hurry it up, don't tell my landlady or the cops I sent you, and have Foreman go with you. Maybe he'll teach you a trick or two about proper B&E. And make it snappy!"

Shaking his head, Foreman just sighed and followed Chase out the door. House turned to the others in the room, only to find that Wilson had slipped out while he was otherwise occupied. Probably a good idea. Pasting a large grin on his face and rubbing his hands together Mr. Burns style he began, "Now my pretty, about the patient." Cameron did not look reassured.

"You rigged my radio!"

"Found that did you. And it took you how long again?"

"That's not the point! You must have been stalking me for awhile!"

"Don't be silly House, I didn't start stalking you until after we met in the bar."

House squinted at her suspiciously, "which bar?"

"The one where you brought me to your apartment and agreed to be my puppy as long as it was mutually beneficial."

"Then how do you explain my jury-rigged radio that night? I didn't see any wires in that cocktail dress of yours."

"I did it afterwards."

"Liar."

"House I evade, misdirect, and outright conceal the truth, nowhere does this imply lying. If I lied to you then this game wouldn't be nearly as much fun."

"Then how did you rig the radio so that it went off right when you needed it to while insisting it happened afterwards?"

"I also never agreed to tell you, simply not to lie."

"Bitch."

"Ass."

"… You're stalking me?"

"You have no idea how much."

"In the shower perhaps?" He waggled his eyebrows.

"Well," and here the Blond grinned wickedly, "now that you don't have trouble walking you really should lay off holding your shower-pipe as you get into the bath. It'll break one of these days if you're not careful. And lay off the Indian food, that diarrhea you had last night doesn't sound healthy at all."

This time House couldn't help it, he stared.

Cameron cradled her head in her hands, Chase and Foreman however, did not look surprised. The newest line to the whiteboard read "time travel", House stared at it and glowered.


End file.
